Loathing
by sirenssong13
Summary: Bellatrix and Snape have a heart to heart in which they discuss their loathing for one another....


Bellatrix was pacing the floor, her long black hair rippling behind her, and her dark eyes moving restlessly about the room. Narcissa was lounging perfectly at ease in a comfortable armchair by the fire.

"Calm down, Bella," she said in a soothing voice that did not match her bored expression. Her long pale fingers were twirling a long strand of her white blonde hair between them. "I'm sure he'll be here soon."

"Well that's just the problem, isn't it, Cissy?" Bellatrix snapped, her eyes flashing dangerously. "I don't want the filth in my house!"

"Your house?" Narcissa repeated, straightening up and staring coldly at her sister.

"Oh you know what I mean," Bellatrix corrected hastily, her voice somehow managing to be cold and embarrassed at the same time.

"Of course, Bella," Narcissa muttered, sinking back into the chair. Bellatrix stopped her pacing and stood in the center of the room. Her arms were crossed over her chest and her right foot tapped irritably on the stone floor. A knock on the door sounded. Narcissa looked up. Looking mildly interested. Her sister hissed and recoiled away from the direction of the door.

Narcissa stared in disbelief at her sister. Sometimes Bella was so overdramatic. After all, Snape was a half-blood, it wasn't as if he was a Mudblood or anything. Narcissa shivered. The very word Mudblood made her skin crawl.

"Are you going to get that?" Bellatrix asked her sister, her voice flat and cold. Narcissa shrugged.

"I thought you were." It was a lie of course, but Narcissa had just wanted to watch her sister's reaction. Bellatrix swelled up in fury and Narcissa smirked. Narcissa sighted dramatically and rose gracefully from the comfort of her chair. "Never mind, I'll get it."

There was another loud pounding on the door. "Bit impatient, isn't he?" Bellatrix muttered venomously. Narcissa shot her sister a look that told her to shut it and pulled the door open with a flourish.

"Ah, Snape," she said warmly, her thin lips stretching into a smile. "Welcome."

"Thank you, Narcissa," Snape said smoothly, stepping fluidly over the threshold. Narcissa shut the door with a snap behind him. Snape was dressed from head to toe in black, as usual. Narcissa glanced over at her sister who, too, was wearing all black. She smiled slightly to herself. Bella was more like Snape than she even realized. They even looked alike in a way, Narcissa thought noting the paleness of both their skin and the black of their hair and eyes.

Snape turned his black eyes toward the shadow in the corner of the room. His eyes narrowed as he took in Bellatrix's stunning beauty that was not marred in the slightest by the look of deep loathing on her face. It was, in fact, almost enhanced by her hatred. Bellatrix would not look like herself if she didn't have a cold, arrogant, or haughty look on her face.

"Bellatrix," Snape said shortly. Bellatrix didn't reply, but pressed her full lips together and turned her head, intentionally looking anywhere but at Snape himself. The corner of Snape's mouth lifted. Ah Bella, he thought, if only you knew that your pushing me away only drew me closer.

"Well," Narcissa said loudly, breaking the silence but only increasing to the tension in the room. Snape turned his attention back to Narcissa, his face not letting on one bit to the thoughts swirling around in his head. "Have you any news, Severus?"

Snape pursed his lips. "Well…" He tried to look intentionally hesitant.

"What?" Bellatrix demanded sharply, breaking her silence. Snape turned his face to hide his smile and when he turned it back to the two sister he tried to look sorrowful.

"Narcissa, I truly regret this but the information I have to convey was meant for Bellatrix's ears only." Snape inclined his head to the dark haired women in the corner. Narcissa looked taken aback; Bellatrix's eyes widened in surprise and then her face flushed with pleasure.

"Is it from the Dark Lord?" she asked. She glided forward and clenched her hands tightly around her sister's thin forearm, her long nails biting sharply into Narcissa's skin. Snape nodded and Bellatrix's hands flew to her throat, leaving Narcissa free to rub her throbbing forearm.

"Oh!" she breathed. She whirled around to face her sister. "Leave, Cissy!" she demanded and began pushing Narcissa out of the room. Narcissa stood her ground, planting her feet firmly and refusing to be pushed so rudely out of the room.

"I can walk!" she snapped in Bellatrix's face. Narcissa turned her attention back to Snape, her face impassive. "Very well, Severus, if that is what the Dark Lord wants, then that is what I shall do." She nodded towards her guest and then glared at her sister. "Call me when you have…relayed the information."

Snape smiled widely and Narcissa blinked back in surprise. She was not used to Snape looking so happy. Snape noticed her surprise and tried to make his smile tighter, more strained. "Thank you so much for understanding." Narcissa pressed her lips together and left the room without another word.

When the door had shut behind her sister Bellatrix stepped forward, her face eager. "Well," she demanded. "What is it, Severus?" She was too distracted to apply the usual iciness to his name.

Snape cleared his throat. "Well, Bella," he began. Bellatrix frowned at the nickname but did not say interrupt. Snape noted this with glee. "We have been assigned to work together." He said this very hastily, as if getting the words in fast would soften the blow to Bellatrix.

But nonetheless, Bellatrix's eyes widened in fury, her jaw dropped, eyebrows pulled down over her flashing eyes, and her hands coiled tightly into fists. "What!" she hissed in disbelief. "No! No, the Dark Lord wouldn't do that!"

"Ah, Bellatrix, I don't think that there is much that the Dark Lord wouldn't do, and this is certainly not one of those things." Bellatrix began sputtering.

"No!" she shouted at Snape. "No! I won't!"

"Won't you, Bella?" he asked softly. Bellatrix's eyes widened as Snape's hand closed over her arm, forcing up the sleeve and revealing the Dark Mark beneath. She closed her eyes and let out a hissing breath.

"No," she growled, clenching her fist and making the veins on her arm pop out of her skin. Snape released her arm and it fell limply to her side.

"Yes," Snape corrected.

"Why?" Bellatrix asked, turning her back furiously on Snape. "He knows how I loathe you. The Dark Lord wouldn't do that to me." Her eyes were still closed and, surprisingly enough tears were welling beneath them. The pain of the Dark Lord's commands hit Bellatrix in a tender place. She had given this man a life of loyalty and what did she get? Partnered up with the most detestable man on the face of this earth. Well, Bellatrix thought, besides that Harry Potter, though she wasn't quite sure he qualified as a man yet.

"Yet he has," Snape replied, his voice tender. He was surprised at how Bella was taking the news. He had expected her to be furious, to throw deadly spells at him and to scream, but not to turn her back and hunch her shoulders over like a small child. Snape heard her ragged breathing and realized that Bellatrix was crying, or very close to tears.

"Bellatrix--" he said quietly. "Bella…" He placed one hand on her shoulder, trying to be comforting, but feeling very awkward doing so. Her bony shoulder shook beneath his hand.

"What?" she snapped. Snape said nothing but left his hand on her shoulder. "Get away from me!" She recoiled sharply and whirled around. Sure enough the whites of her eyes were red and tears were sparkling on her lash line. Snape's mouth parted slightly. He had never seen Bellatrix show a weakness, let alone cry. He hadn't thought that it was physically possible.

"Bella, I hadn't realized that this information would affect you so." He was completely telling the truth. Bellatrix's eyes narrowed, and the movement caused a tear to fall, leaving a wet streak across her pale skin.

"But Master would not do this!" she shouted, waving her arms widely at Snape. "I am his most trusted, his most loyal servant! I gave my life to him. I went to Azkaban for him. And now this! I get stuck with you, a disloyal filthy half-blood." She spat at his feet.

"Bellatrix," Snape said evenly. "I do not think that the Dark Lord put us together for any particular reason, it was most likely a random pair. I'm sure that we can switch. You can be with Narcissa and I'll take Lucius--"

"No!" Bellatrix screeched. "No, I do as commanded! Unlike someone I can think of." She threw a look of loathing at Snape. Snape bristled with anger.

"I have explained time and time again that I--"

"Save it," Bella shrieked. "I don't have time to listen to your pathetic story."

"Bellatrix," Snape said in a low, warning voice.

"No!" she screamed, her voice rising through the octaves now. "No, I really don't want to hear it!" Her hand darted under her cloak to her wand. She brandished it fiercely in Snape's face, pushing him against the wall. Snape's wand was out a moment later, pressed against her neck threateningly. Bella chuckled darkly.

"You got me, Severus," she said, sounding slightly hysterical. "You won this round."

"I always do, Bella," Snape said, narrowing his eyes at her.

"I LOATHE YOU!" Bellatrix screamed.

"I LOATHE YOU!" Snape shouted back. And the next thing either of them felt was the others lips pressed against their own.

Bellatrix had pushed Snape roughly against the wall and wrapped her arms around his neck. Snape responded by pressing his hands harshly against her back, holding her closer than seemed physically possible.

Their lips moved together in sloppy perfection, so wrong and yet so right at the same time. Snape's hands twisted with her long, thick hair while she pressed his face closer to hers. They broke apart, faces flushed, eyes alight, and breathing ragged.

"I hate you," Bellatrix whispered. Snape smiled and said nothing. His hand found the back of her hand and pressed her lips against his once more. She kissed him back more passionately than before.

Someone several feet away cleared his throat. The two pulled back and turned to see Bellatrix's nephew, Draco, standing with a smug smile on his face.

"I knew it," he drawled. "I knew you had a thing for each other."

"Draco," Bella hissed, pointing her wand at his heart. Draco's eyes widened and he stepped back but Snape put up the hand that was not wrapped around her waist up to stop her.

"Now, now, love, let's not murder your nephew. I'm sure that your sister would be rather upset."

"Yes, I think she would be rather upset," Narcissa said silkily. Bellatrix ignored her sister but lowered her wand anyway and turned back to Snape.

"Don't call me 'love'," she said through clenched teeth.

"If you insist." Snape stroked her cheek with his index finger. Bellatrix immediately slapped him away.

"Don't touch me."

"If you insist." Snape sighed and looked longingly at Bellatrix.

"I told you that I loathed you. What part of loathe makes you think that you can call me 'love' and stroke my cheek?"

"All of it," Snape replied. A loud snort echoed throughout the room. Draco, Narcissa, and Bellatrix had all snorted at the same time. Snape wheeled on Draco, black eyes on fire.

"Out!" he spat. Draco, who was bent over laughing, straightened immediately and hurried out of the room.

"Sorry," he sputtered. Narcissa smiled slyly at her sister and followed her son.

"Have fun," she said over her shoulder and shut the door once more. Bellatrix scowled and turned back to Snape.

"What was that supposed to mean?" she asked. Snape smiled.

"This." And then they kissed, putting all of the hatred and loathing that they could summon into it.


End file.
